


When Clint Met Tony

by SilverTonguedSlytherin1



Series: Military!Tony [4]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Civil War Team Iron Man, First Meetings, Gen, Military!Tony
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-09
Updated: 2020-05-09
Packaged: 2021-03-02 19:07:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 755
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24091846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SilverTonguedSlytherin1/pseuds/SilverTonguedSlytherin1
Summary: In light of recent events, Agent Barton of SHIELD has been assigned to protect retired Lt. Col. Stark. Agent Barton doesn't know what kind of man the Lt. Col. is, and all he hopes is that this assignment isn't too bad.
Series: Military!Tony [4]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1738261
Comments: 23
Kudos: 1041





	When Clint Met Tony

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote something for Marvel that doesn't need a "Not Steve Friendly" tag. What is this world coming to? Whatever shall the delightful Alt and their merry band of trolls complain about now?
> 
> I tagged it as "Civil War Team Iron Man" mostly because that's my view, and it felt safer to warn people off just in case. Also, well, the rest of the series has been very Anti-Rogers/Pro-Tony, so I don't want anyone coming into the 'verse on false pretenses. I'm sorry if anybody is disappointed. 
> 
> Given the reactions I'm getting on my other Marvel works, I'm moderating the comments here as well. Sorry for the inconvenience, and thank y'all for understanding.

Clint tries not to fidget on the Quinjet while they fly from New York to Malibu. He's starting a who-the-hell-knows-how-long assignment to protect Lt. Col.Stark, and he honestly just wishes what knew sort time he's going to have.

Stark is career military, signed up when he was just nineteen. Clint has spent nearly the same amount of time in SHIELD. Will Stark see them as, if not equals, then at least comrades? Will he want to talk to Clint and share stories? Will he respect Clint's opinion, especially where the man's security and safety are concerned?

The Lt. Col. is also a career officer. He's been ordering people like Clint around since he started in the Air Force. Will he want Clint to be seen and not heard? Will he try to tell Clint how to do his job? If so, will he at least know what he's doing?

Tony Stark is a billionaire. Is he going to look at Clint like he's the help? Is he going to ignore every warning Clint gives him, then complain to Coulson when he gets hurt?

Dr. Stark is one of the world's most renowned scientists. Is he going to babble constantly about his work, not giving a clear explanation but still being insulted when Clint doesn't understand? It's pretty much a given that he'll look down on Clint for being a high school drop-out, but will he take that a sign that Clint doesn't know anything, doesn't know how to do his job? Will he even really see Clint as human?

Anthony Edward Stark is the son of Howard Stark, co-founder of SHIELD. He's the little prince forbidden from his kingdom. Is he angry about that; will he take that anger out on Clint? Will he simply be untrusting? Will he use this time to learn about the other half of his father's legacy?

Clint doesn't know. The man is all of these things in equal measure, and which trait is dominant seems to differ by the situation. And Clint doesn't know the man well enough to know how he'll read this situation. God, he hates shooting blind.

~*~

The meet the man in Stark Industries Malibu Headquarters. Normally, Clint would be able to look at a person and get a read off of them. Stark is still an enigma.

He's wearing a three-piece suit that probably cost two months of Clint's pay. It's a deep navy that Clint would bet that amount matches the blue of an Air Force dress uniform exactly. Is he hanging on to the past, or is he simply reminding people of it? His hair and beard suggest the latter, as does the 'Brass Rat' on his hand. However, there's something in his eyes and voice that make Clint snap to rigid attention while Coulson settles into the plush chair to talk.

"At ease, agent," Lt. Col. Stark says, "And have a seat. I assure you, we'll be on our feet enough today."

"Yes, sir," Clint says, taking the offered seat. "Thank you."

That's a point in the fellow-soldier column, he guesses. It's not really something Clint had expected. His charges usually didn't care for Clint's comfort; it wasn't there job to do so.

He's friendly with Coulson, which is good. His handler is polite with nearly everyone, but he's friendly with only a handful. If Coulson approves of him, then he'll probably be a little on the strict side, but he won't be too bad.

"I want him back in the condition I'm loaning him in, Stark," Coulson says.

"Don't worry, Agent. I'll feed him well and treat him right," Stark responds.

That seems to satisfy Coulson. He's out the door five minutes later.

Stark turns his attention to Clint. "So, do you want a grand tour of the floor, or would you rather scope out the vents?"

Clint is stunned. Normally, he's ordered to stay in sight and certainly to stay out of the vents. It's such an odd thing to ask, something usually only Nat or Rumlow would ask, so Clint responds without thinking, "Vents, Glow Stick." Damn it! Things had been going so well, and Clint's disrespectful mouth ruined things. He opens his mouth to apologize, but Stark is already speaking.

"Have at it then, Legolas, but stay away from the women's restrooms, locker rooms, showers, and all that."

"Of course, Boss," and he climbs into the office's vent.

He's still not sure what kind of man Stark is, but Clint thinks he could grow to like him.

**Author's Note:**

> This fic is set in my Military!Tony universe. I see it set between Iron Man and Iron Man 2. The idea is that instead of sending Romanov in to watch Tony die slowly, they send Clint in due to how everything else is going (Here, the Palladium has already been handled).
> 
> My idea is that Clint would definitely have greater respect for Lt. Col. Stark than he did the former Merchant of Death, and they would have the potential for a very strong friendship, especially post Battle of New York.


End file.
